Theories on origin of enzymes’ catalytic power united
Transition state stabilisation and ground state destabilisation both reduce the energy barrier by enhancing charge density but vary in their timing
Enzymes speed up reactions by lowering the energy barrier between substrates and products and determining the origin of this catalytic power has long been of interest to scientists. Now, researchers in China and the US have addressed the debate on whether enzyme catalysis occurs via transition state stabilisation or ground state destabilisation, by looking at charge density changes on the catalytic atoms.